Lost and Afraid in the Age of Rain
by S. Ryder
Summary: A year after graduation the rain begins and never stops. Along with that Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley are missing and in time Hermione receives an unexpected visit from Sirius Black who brings her a mysterious child and an unknown mission


"Do not be afraid, Harry" Remus Lupin said patting the young soul's brushy hair with his firm hands. Harry Potter was sitting on the damp, dark cobblestone floor in a building he had never seen before. They were the kindest words that could come from a cold hearted man.  
  
"But we don't even know what they are," said Harry as his thumb glided over the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. "How are we supposed to stop them?"  
  
The rumbling of the large thorn covered toes crept through the boy's head. He looked at his former teacher who had picked him up just in time to save him from the creatures. The face of the old man looked as if he had been hopefully thinking of a spell that would relinquish them from the new evil. His first priority, however was Harry.  
  
"Harry, do you remember your first glance into the mirror?" he said, as he laid on one knee to become eye level with Harry. Harry nodded. "Just remember that. That what comes from what you wished for will happen. That you will see it in the truest of beauty. That you are not without it.that what it is has just been growing for you to see."  
  
"Remus what are you." Harry said as he heard the creature's violent roar come closer and closer from above.  
  
"You are a special boy who has been guided by his heart to find people who processes the same love that your parents had for you. Do not worry Harry, you and your family will be safe"  
  
With that the creature broke it's shoulder through the dungeon's door, it's orange colored eyes widened at the sound of Harry's scream. Remus began to whisper a spell as the two listened to it's slit tongues lick away on its chap, rigged lips.  
  
Remus began to shoot varieties of spells towards its presence yet not one phased it. Harry was too afraid to chime in as well, as the creature came closer and closer the lights went out along with the noise. The world went silent as it fell, almost out of nowhere. On top of the roof came a drop of rain.  
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The earth had not stopped raining in fourteen long months. Amongst her personal studies, Hermione Granger had read every book within her means to find out why. To find out why she had not heard from or of the great wizard Harry Potter was another question.  
  
She had last seen him smiling amongst his friends amongst the common wizard graduation festivities. Her persistent winks towards Ginny Weasley, who was finally holding finger by finger "with the boy who lived" had not escaped her memory either. Even the wizarding world had begun to talk of her own disappearance. All of which occurred when the outpour of torrential ran began.  
  
Hermione now lived quietly with only her aged cat, Crookshanks and two hundred or so over due books from the wizard's library. Each book contained some information that involved a contacting spell. Each book also contained no information that lead her closer to finding her beloved two friends.  
  
Wearing the over-sized blue sweater that Mrs. Weasley had sewn for her, she leaned back to focus on yet another unopened book shying her eyes away the dozens of framed pictures that contained funny poses of the many people she had not been able to keep in touch with for some reason or another.  
  
"Oh, Harry where- could- you be?" she sighed while skimming through the first paragraph. With that a loud knock upon her door came.  
  
She had only the promises of visitors to come but very seldom had she actually had them. Her parents, like many common muggles of her country, had decided to move their lives west to the states where the rain had not been as harsh.  
  
The door was knocked upon one more time as she scampered down the stairs.  
  
"It must be a wizard because they should've known that I have a doorbell" she paused as the door immediately opened and the lights blew out. She could only see a shivering cloak as rain began to make its way onto the entrance's floor.  
  
Four soggy fingers wrapped around her mouth before she could cast a spell. She bit down and screamed but it was of no use.  
  
"We must not be heard nor seen," the sickly voice whispered. The voice sounded quite familiar to her and had she not been panicking she could have properly picked up on it.  
  
Swiftly her fragile body was carried from room to room until all motion was stopped. She opened her eyes to notice that they were on the floor inside of the bathroom. A glow, no bigger than a grape, came from the mysterious person's hand and after Hermione looked up to see the face beneath the cowl she breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Sirius," she said, turning her frightened hold into a warm hug. It was Sirius Black, a former prisoner to whom she and Harry helped set free. He looked twenty years older and within each of those twenty years he had not received an hours worth of sleep. Crookshanks scampered across the bathroom opening looking suspiciously at the two who were in the dark bathroom. Sirius waved the cat to come near him and it complied. Hermione watched the man take his rob off quickly and to her delight she saw a small redheaded baby girl wrapped within a half-made piece of cloth which had been tied to him. Even though the serious Black had other intentions, he couldn't help but smile at its sight. He took a wet piece of sealed parchment tucked underneath the silent child and placed it onto the sink.  
  
"IF I do not make it back to you by midnight then open this letter but only then. Walk outside with your cat at that very minute, be prepared for anything that will happen."  
  
Before she could begin to ask why they heard the cry of a horrid creature, the horrid thumping of it feet onto the hardwood staircase of Hermione's house made him act quickly. He touched one hand on the forehead of the child and another to gently brush the purring cat.  
  
The cry of the loud beast closing in on them stopped her from hearing the spell he whispered but as soon as he finished she saw that her cat was now in the well wrapped pouch and the baby was crawling outside of the doorway.  
  
Instinct flew out of her as she leached out grab the small child, but before she could Sirius had already picked it up within his grasp and began to run down the stairs and out of the open doorway. The sound of the creature dissipated as it too had followed her short visiting friend out of the doorway.  
  
The avid researcher began to regain her composure and made her way down the stairs to close the door that had only been open for a matter of minutes. As the door closed the lights within her house came back on, yet it was still raining.  
  
"Eight O'clock." She said, staring up at the ticking grandfather clock in front of her. "For more hours to go." 


End file.
